Interestingly, I immediately came across this image, which is so similar that I felt the artist must have based her artwork on it. This earlier version is titled "Old Christmas" and was illustrated in 1836 by Robert Seymour for "The Book of Christmas" by Thomas Kibble Hervey. Santa with his Yule Goat appear quite often in Christmas cards too during Victorian times. I thought the goat might have been a nod to the old horned Gods or perhaps, because in other British Isle traditions like Puck's Fair and May Day, goats are sometimes crowned with flowers during harvest and summer festivals. He's an important little fellow associated with harvest and sun and so could easily be associated with Winter Solstice as well. But of course there is the Yule Goat or Julbock in Scandinavia! My first introduction to the Yule Goat was many, many years ago when we bought a little boxed set of Christmas ornaments of straw goats from IKEA, the Swedish furniture company. The Julbock in Scandanavia is thought perhaps to be derived from the two goats who pulled the sky chariot for the God Thor (Norse); or with the God Devac (Slavic) who was depicted as a white goat. Originally he demanded gifts, or offerings at this time of year, probably in exchange for returning the sun, and as the traditions changed and Santa Claus appeared, the white goat became the giver of gifts instead. But getting back to why the artist called this "The British Father Christmas" and why Robert Seymour, a British illustrator depicted Santa in this way in the first place ... well, maybe the Yule Goat trotted his way on over to Britain and merged in wonderfully with the already existing English traditions surrounding the goat. Now as for the Wassail bowl ... Bibliography: Victorian Christmas by Bobbie Kalman, Crabtree Publishing Company, 1997; Wikipedia, Yule Goat, October 2020; The Yule Goat Sneaks Heathen Tradition into Christmas, The Rational Heathen, Tyra Ulfdottir, 2017 Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan, 2020
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![]() Are you looking to find your real self ... or return to it? You could try approaching a Hippogriff. Harry Potter was able to do what Draco Malfoy could not. He showed the Hippogriff Buckbeak respect; and as a result was treated to a fantastic ride ... a literal expression of his rise to new spiritual heights. Harry was understandably shaken in approaching the Hippogriff because this creature has the potential to rip him apart with its talons if displeased. But, even if accepted, there still lies the greater fear of relinquishing that little bit of control over the course of your life; and potentially meeting your destiny. Harry trusted, and accepted that challenge. I think we are all a little envious of Harry, but there is no need to be, because at some point we all reach that time where we want to meet our Hippogriff. My advice is to be respectful and thoughtful to your guide and to trust him; because what you will find will be worth the temporary madness. Bibliography: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury, UK, 1999; Wikipedia, Hippogriff, 2020 Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2020
Every year I wait for the beauty of the delicate pink and white blossoms on our apple trees. How to describe the scent? I wish I could bottle it. It is so pure, light and innocent. Then the arrival of the happy honeybees, busily buzzing and trying to make sure each flower on the tree receives a visit. Too soon, a Spring breeze shakes all those lovely blossoms down to the ground to create a carpet of white. I tried to do a little research on the apple blossom and didn't find too much. Well, not much in comparison to the copious amount of history, folklore and symbolism of the apple blossom's fantastic successor - the bountiful, hardy and very useful apple! But I have made a couple of observations which I believe is where most of folklore is derived; coupled with a few tidbits of history and symbolism. Firstly, the apple blossom forms a gently rounded five pointed star. This pattern, a natural pentagram, is greatly utilized by Mother Nature in a number of her creations. The apple blossom is part of the Rose family (Rosaceae) and the rose is associated with the Goddess Venus, sexual mystery and as thus can represent itself in another Goddess; the innocent Mary - soon to be mother. The culmination of the apple blossom is the apple; associated with eternal life, knowledge, motherhood and therefore Eve. Secondly, the blossoms arrive in the merry, merry month of May, with the apples all ready to eat, prepare and store away in the magical month of October. This coincides with the Celtic Wheel of the Year, showing May (Beltane) as the month of fertility (apple blossoms) and October (Samhain) as the month of final harvest (apples). The apple tree has made its way from Rome, to the British Isles and finally, throughout North America where it has been adopted by two American States - Michigan and Arkansas - as their State Flower. This beautiful blossom certainly deserves that honour ... and more! Bibliography: The Life and Times of the Apple, Charles Micucci, Orchard Books, USA, 1992; Rosaceae, Wikipedia, 2020; World of Aromatherapy, Jeanne Rose, Frog, Ltd., California, 1996 Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2020
I love digging into and dissecting old Mother Goose rhymes! The first thing I noticed about this nursery rhyme is that Jack Horner is sitting in the corner; a place usually associated with punishment for a childhood mischief; so from this we may determine that Jack has done something naughty. But he does not think he is naughty and in fact evaluates himself as a good boy, by virtue of either the existence of a plum in his pie, or by the fact that he himself has the power to extract it. Both seem rather egotistical and out-of-keeping with how children would have been expected to behave in those long, long years past. So what has really happened here? It seems that there was an abbot in Glastonbury during the time of King Henry VIII who decided to gift twelve manor houses to the King. By this he hoped to dissuade the King from his plan to dissolve the Catholic monasteries. The impending "Dissolution of the Monasteries" resulted in the terrible disassembly and destruction that we see today when visiting the ruins of these magnificent structures; which aren't actually "ruins" at all, but the result of King Henry the VIII's wilful destruction. The story goes that Thomas Horner, a steward of the abbot, was sent to London with a Christmas Pie that contained the deeds to the twelve manor houses. He "put in his thumb" and extracted the deed to one manor house ... which he kept for himself, and his descendants live in it to this day. The alternate story is that he bought the manor house from the King. Also quite plausible as, when he delivered the Christmas Pie, he may well have known what the pie contained and asked leave to purchase one of the houses. Either way, it would seem that the writer of this rhyme viewed "Jack Horner" as a "naughty boy in the corner" (opportunist), who saw a "plum" (the manor house) ripe for the picking in the pie, and let him self-proclaim himself "a good boy" (deserving) who was justified in enjoying the good things in life. Since the writer allows this - was Jack, in actuality, naughty or nice? Such a great poem for the Christmas season! Bibliography: Mother Goose, A Little Golden Book, 1942 version; The Hidden History of Nursery Rhymes, education.com, 2006-2019
Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2017 / edited 2019 ![]() The Fox and The Monkey - Aesop's Fables A fox and a monkey were arguing about which of the two were "better born" and comparing their family trees. When they passed a cemetery, the monkey stopped and gave a great sigh. The fox was perplexed and asked the monkey to explain his sorrow. The monkey pointed to the tombstones and told the fox that all those monuments were placed in honour of his forefathers; who in their day were very eminent men indeed. At first the fox was speechless at this revelation about his companion. However, he quickly recovered when he realized, and reminded the monkey, that it was very unlikely any of his illustrious ancestors would rise up out of their graves and dispute the matter. Moral: Boasters brag most when no one is around to expose them There is so much to be learned from our ancestors. The monkey was devious and bragged when no one was around to expose his lies. The fox was clever because he saw through it. It still holds true today, although with the propensity for past posts on today's social media to rise up in the future and "dispute the matter" .... we'd all better be careful! Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2019
![]() Common sense seems to be in short supply these days. Or is it only me who feels this way? Actually, I think common sense is making a comeback! We simply can't go on the way we have been unless we go back to "showin' a bit o' common". "Show a bit of common, mate!" is an English expression that is usually expressed in exasperation when someone does something that is just too ridiculous to explain to them and begs that common sense be applied to the situation. One of my favourite TV characters, Stan Butler, used this expression in "On the Buses", a popular British television series in the 1970s. It just got added to my vocabulary! Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2019
I'm absolutely smitten with Hollyhocks this year! They are a magical must-have for any garden and I'm pleased to say they have been successfully added to the Grove. The English flower folk name "Hollyhock" is thought to be comprised of "holy" and "hoc". "Holy", from the flower's copious use in the Holy Land and Egypt; and "Hoc" meaning part of the mallow plant family. Hollyhocks were and are present in Europe, Japan, the Middle East and North America - this plant species is believed to have originated in China ... and travelled far, arriving in England during the 16th Century. Hollyhocks symbolize "female ambition" and with such beautiful blooms, and an average growth of 6 to 10 feet ... it is easy to see why! Due, I suspect, to their height and the possibility of needing staking or protection from the wind, you often see these flowers growing against the sides of houses, along rock walls or garden fences and no English cottage garden would be complete without Hollyhocks. They are also heavily present in graveyards, perhaps as a remembrance that they were used long ago in the funeral preparations of the Ancient Egyptians. This magical flower has been used in a variety of ways including a soothing way to wrap bruises or a horse's sore hoof (hence another folk name "Hockleaf" and perhaps another origination for "Hoc"?). The fairies often use the blooms for skirts or other clothing and so adding these flowers to your garden are sure to please the wee folk as well. I've recently discovered the existence of "black" Hollyhocks, which are actually a very deep, dark purple ... I would love to add them to our garden as there are a number of "night" plants I want to cultivate. Quick as a flash, no sooner had I voiced this wish, then a friend mentioned she was popping some black Hollyhock seeds in the mail to me. Never doubt the existence of magic in a garden! Bibliography: The Language of Flowers, Penhaligon's Scented Treasury of Verse and Prose, Sheila Pickles, 1989
Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2019 Bibliography: The Language of Flowers, Penhaligon's Scented Treasury of Verse and Prose, Sheila Pickles, 1989
Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2019 When you mention "May Day" to many folks, they automatically think of "International Workers' Day". It saddens me that this beautiful day has been overshadowed by a cause that just happens to fall on the same date .. and is of a much more modern origin. Obviously, the world is large and many special days share the same date on the calendar ... but for goodness sake - did they have to borrow the name as well? I'd like to help to dispel this misunderstanding with a little introduction to the ancient celebration of May Day or Beltane, long celebrated in the Northern Hemisphere and other parts of the world as well:
So there you have it! Absolutely nothing to do with workers' rights, strikes, labour or similar uprisings. Thank you for reading! Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2019
My interest in Asian folklore is relatively new and, as such limited, but I understand that these little fellows are moon rabbits, popular in Chinese, Japanese, Korean and other folklore. The oblong dish to the left is made in Japan and depicts moon rabbits with the full moon above them in the dark blue night sky. They are surrounded by eggs. I had forgotten the imagery on it when I stumbled across the little pastel-coloured dish to the right. It mystified me a bit at first, because it is egg-shaped and the bunnies are busily cavorting among pretty pink eggs and a flower. This led me at first to think it was an Easter dish - until I flipped it over and saw an Asian back stamp! But of course, when you compare the two, there is simply no mistake - I believe the pink flower in this case serves as a pretty substitute for the moon. The white moon rabbit lives on the moon and stirs an elixir of immortality. Sometimes, when you look at the full moon, you can see his image. I'm not sure if the chocolate eggs I intend to place in these dishes will help in the quest for immortality ... but they certainly will satisfy the evening sweet tooth! Bibliography: Wikipedia, Moon Rabbit, 2019
Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2019 St. Patrick's Day brings popular images of leprechauns - cute, comical and dancing about ... jealously protecting their pots o' gold. They are seen as "fiercely" sweet but being oh so terribly tiny, can only trick human beings, rather than fighting a fair fight. But don't forget that leprechauns are of the same ilk as banshees (who foretell death), changelings (ancient creatures who secretly take the place of human babies) and also of béfinds? Remember fairy godmother #13 who cursed Sleeping Beauty to die? Yeah, you want to keep on the good side of a béfind. Also, what we mortals call fairies were gods and goddesses; once upon a long time ago. Most are part of the Tuatha Dé Danann, an ancient race that arrived in Ireland many eons ago, or they are at least descended from them. So in order to please a leprechaun, we need to replace the current cute image and replace it with one that garners respect. He is a very small, old and wizened fairy who makes his home under hills or in fairy mounds. He smokes his pipe for pleasure and works diligently at repairing shoes ... or at least one shoe - why only one? I think it's because it is a "smoke screen". The leprechaun is working ... but it is appearance only. He is actually waiting, observing, contemplating and if we wait long enough, this wise old fellow might remove the pipe from his mouth and let us in on a few secrets about the world. If you would like to gain favour with a leprechaun, I suggest the following:
May you secure the good luck blessings of your local leprechaun this St. Paddy's Day! Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2019
February is when we see the first stirrings of Spring. Throughout the British Isles, in olden days, these first cheerful signs of Spring's return were celebrated by our Celtic ancestors in a holiday called "Imbolc" or "Bride's / St. Brigit's Day". Celebrations varied from community to community but the central theme was the same. Nudged by the observations of "life returning" in the form of small green shoots poking through the sometimes snowy ground, buds forming on trees and the birth of little lambs, the festivals often included bonfires or candles to represent the return of the warmth of the sun, and offerings to the Goddess Brighid, a mother goddess later venerated as Saint Brigit by the arrival of Christianity. It was also traditional to burn any leftover winter greenery, used in the Yuletide celebrations, indicating to me, a fresh start. I rarely say "Off with the old, on with the new" for I love many beautiful legacies from the past, represented in architecture and vintage items; but in this case, throwing off the old refers to things that no longer serve you or have run their course, in a natural cycle that makes way for new life. It is a beautiful time of year and we are experiencing a particularly gorgeous Imbolc. Lots of snowdrops, crocuses, songbirds, small buds ... and even a wee bit of snow glittering in the fantastically warm sunshine. If you have the opportunity, go for a little walk and see what you can see - Happy Imbolc! Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2019 / edited 2020 Bibliography:
Guide to the Fairy Ring, by Anna Franklin, 2002, Llewellyn Publications Entry for "Imbolc", Wikipedia, last edit 2019 ![]() It is still the dark time of the year. Yes, we are slowly moving towards the light and Spring ... but it still seems so far away! Especially when at a half past three in the afternoon, it can seem unusually dark and gloomy outside. The fairies are not so different to humans and naturally can exhibit a wide array of both good and bad characteristics. The Trow is a very old fairy (well, which of them aren't?) whom you probably will want to avoid. He sprung to life in the Shetland and Orkney Islands, an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland. The Viking influence may be partially at the root of his existence as he exhibits a similarity to Scandinavian trolls. These fellows live in the old burial grounds and it has been said they are found of music and dance. But, they only go out into the human world under the cover of darkness (which at this time of the year is a lot) and they like to enter the villagers' homes to warm themselves by the fire. While this may seem innocuous - beware - they are also called the "Night Creepers" or "Night Stealers" and have been known to kidnap human children ... and leave Changelings in their place. Bibliography: Guide to the Fairy Ring, Anna Franklin, 2002, Llewellyn Publications Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2019 I love the tradition of Boxing Day wherein you fill a box and give it to your servants to help make their Christmas bright, and also to show your appreciation for a year's work - kind of like the modern Christmas Bonus! The idea originated, partially, because servants had to wait on their employers and their guests all day long on Christmas Day -- cleaning, cooking, serving, receiving guests, taking coats, stabling the horses, etc. etc. etc.! So the grateful employers would fill a box the following day full of all kinds of wonderful things such as left-over cakes, pies, meats and treats; to old clothes and household items that had been replaced by new items. The servants would then take these boxes home to their families and celebrate their Christmas on Boxing Day. That's only one variation of this very old tradition but it is a particularly nice and generous one. Other versions include people going door-to-door to the homes of rich people on Boxing Day, carrying with them their own box, in the hopes of receiving any bits and bobs that the abundant households might no longer need and were happy to pass on to the less fortunate. Or sometimes, the wealthy would make a day of it and gather as a group to go about to the homes of those in need, or to their servants, and drop the goodies off themselves ... remember Bob Cratchitt's turkey! I received a nice big cardboard box this year from out-of-town relatives filled with lovely Christmas gifts. I was just about to recycle it when I decided that, while I don't have any servants, I'm going to fill the box with items around the house and take it to our local Salvation Army or hospital charity shop. And maybe I better leave out some wee offerings to the fairy folk; for my brownies and house elves, and also those industrious little garden gnomes who perform many important tasks around the Grove! Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2018 / edited 2020
If you are making fruit cake this season for your Christmas or Yuletide celebration ... it is time to get them soaking! With just under 5 weeks to go, this is the optimum time to wrap your cake in brandy-soaked cheesecloth, wrap it in tin foil and seal in an airtight container. Refresh the brandy once a week, and re-wrap ... up to 5 or 6 times before Christmas! The longer your Christmas fruit cake soaks ... the more incredibly dark and delicious it becomes. For my complete Christmas Fruitcake recipe, click here: christmas-cake.html Last year, I went pagan and decorated the Christmas Cake with a fresh sprig of holly from our tree here in the Grove. But this year, I think I will go "kitschy vintage" and adorn it with the many bits of pieces of vintage plastic cake decorations I have acquired over the years. I have trees, greeting signs, holly, elves, reindeer ... and even Santa and his sleigh! Maybe I'll even include some coins in the cake to reward the lucky few! ![]() One of the most beautiful stories of Christmastime is "The Snowman" by Raymond Briggs. Pictured here, the little boy's Mom has magically (and simultaneously) decorated the Christmas Cake with an exact duplicate of the snowman her son created in their garden. The Snowman comes to life, at the stroke of midnight, and he and the boy share a memorable, yet ultimately heart-wrenching adventure. Decorating a Christmas Cake can give you a chance to express, in diorama, the symbols of Christmas that you hold dear. Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2018
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